The Consequences of Sin..Dr. Charles Stanley

 The Consequences of Sin

Dr. Charles Stanley

Genesis 3:14-19

Christians tend to categorize sins, rating some as small and inconsequential, but others as huge and far-reaching in the damage they cause. In reality, no one sins in isolation. Each disobedience to God affects not only the sinner but also countless others in both the present and the future.

If we were to separate Adam and Eve's sin from its context, few of us would convict them of great transgression. All they did was swallow some fruit from a tree with a "do not eat" sign. Today people think nothing of ignoring commands—even biblical ones.

But God has a totally different view of our sins. Each one is followed by negative consequences. Adam and Eve's disobedience led to pain and frustration in two basic areas of fulfillment—relationships and meaningful work. The whole earth fell under sin's curse, and every person born since then has entered the world with a sin nature that alienates each one from the Lord.

That first rebellion plunged humanity into a terrible condition. Civilization is now plagued by countless ramifications of the innumerable sins committed by human beings throughout the ages. Is it any wonder the world is in such sad shape? Sin not only causes suffering; it robs us of God's best. The Garden of Eden is closed and locked to sinful mankind.

The good news of Christ's grace and forgiveness is our only real hope in this fallen world. Though unpleasant, focusing on sin's consequences is necessary at times to remind us of the greatness of our salvation and to move us to obey God, even in the small things. Each obedience is huge to Him.

Fully Forgiven..Alexis A. Goring

 Fully Forgiven

By Alexis A. Goring

“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” – Romans 6:23 (KJV)

Across America, in the spring, students attend graduation ceremonies. Teachers and professors distribute desired degrees that the students worked hard to receive. There’s a special level of anticipation from college graduation because that’s when you embark on the adventure of adulthood and move closer to your career dreams. Everything you studied, all the lessons you learned, all of your God-given talents, and all of the skills you gained are now ripe and ready to be applied. 

But life after school doesn’t always turn out the way you expect, and many college graduates share one thing in common: student loans. Not everyone is able to pay for college out of pocket, even if they work their way through school. 

Therefore, many people borrow money to fund their education. These loans are often thousands of dollars, and, for some students, those loans can amount to $100,000 and higher. It might be overwhelming to you to feel that, even after working hard in the workforce, you’ll never be able to pay off your debt. Expenses like rent or mortgage, food and drink, the light bill, utility bills, car payments and insurance, and other daily costs add up as you survive and thrive as a responsible adult. Life can also throw curveballs, incurring unexpected expenses that you’re unprepared to meet. This might feel defeating as if no matter how hard you work or how much money you save, life drains most of it from your bank account.

As a college graduate, I, too, have student loans. I also feel the overwhelm of not making enough money to pay off my debt in a reasonable amount of time. I’m actively hoping, praying, and working to land a lucrative job that will help pay back what I borrowed. Financial freedom is a goal that many people have, and few things feel better than being debt-free in a society where you always need money.

Years ago, I read a feature story about a couple who owed more money than they could pay back. A spiritual parallel to that couple’s situation came to mind as I realized that we are all drowning in the debt of our sins, a debt we cannot pay. But we have hope because Jesus Christ covered it all when He died on the cross to pay the wages of our sins! Only He could have done this for us. Jesus was the spotless Lamb of God, meaning He never sinned. When Christ, the Son of God, offered His pure and sinless life as the ultimate sacrifice, it ended the former need to burn offerings of animals to God for forgiveness. Because of Jesus, we can be reconciled to God (2 Corinthians 5:17-19). 

Now when we sin, we can go straight to Jesus in prayer and ask Him to forgive us. We don’t need to go to anyone else to confess our sins because Jesus is our bridge to Heaven. Jesus always intercedes for us before God. When we pray to God in Jesus’ name, He doesn’t see our filthy, sinful nature. Instead, God sees us as made righteous, pure, precious, and redeemed by Jesus. He welcomes us with open arms.

So, in essence, when you accept Jesus Christ into your heart and live for Him, you become debt-free! You don’t have to worry about eternal death, and you don’t have to pay the wages of sin because it is forgiven. You confess your sins to God, turn away from wrong-doing, pray in Jesus’s name, and have the hope of Heaven. This is the promise of eternal life in the presence of God.

Jesus paid it all! We have been set free, and that is a beautiful thing. 

Intersecting Faith and Life:
How does it feel to know that you can be debt-free? What are you looking forward to the most about being reconciled with God?

Further Reading:

• John 3:16-17
• John 8:36
• Colossians 1:13-14
• Ephesians 1:3-12
• 1 Peter 1:18-21

Fighting Selfishness.. Betsy St. Amant Haddox

 Fighting Selfishness (Luke 22:24)

By: Betsy St. Amant Haddox

A dispute also arose among them, as to which of them was to be regarded as the greatest. - Luke 22:24

Selfishness lurks in the corner of every man and woman’s heart. We’re born with a sin nature, and nothing reveals this depraved situation quite as much as our inherent selfishness. Even after regeneration—after confession, repentance and salvation through the blood and power of Christ—selfishness is a constant battle we fight in our flesh. 

The disciples were no different. In the verses leading up to Luke 22:24, the disciples were seated with Christ for the Passover Supper. This was a very intimate, important evening—Jesus was about to be crucified. This was their last opportunity to spend time with Him and learn from Him, but what do they do? They start bickering over who of them was the best. 

We can roll our eyes, but we know that the same tendency lurks in us. We crave recognition. We desire to be the best. We want to be held in higher regard than the person next to us. 

Selfishness starts young, and never goes away. Think about this: When you were a child, you either played with this kid or were this kid—you know, the one who insisted on only playing the game they wanted to play. When you were a teenager, you wanted to eat at the restaurants you wanted to eat at or only see the movie you wanted to see. Even today, I fight extreme irritation when one of my children or my husband interrupts me when I’m writing or trying to complete a task. Thoughts like “don’t they know how important my schedule is” raid my mind. Sometimes, I must remember that my first duty is not to my paycheck or my hobbies, but to my family. Why? Because I’m selfish. 

And so are you. Yikes!

The good news is, we have the power to overcome sin through the Holy Spirit. Romans 8:11 (ESV) If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.  

We are capable through the Spirit living in us to defeat selfishness! We won’t get it right every time, but our hearts should desire to beat this sin of selfishness that hurts our relationships and interrupts our fellowship with the Father. The next time the urge to be selfish pops its ugly head up, take a breath. Recognize it for it is—sin—and pray. Ask the Holy Spirit to sanctify your heart. The shift might not happen overnight, but as time goes by, you should start noticing change in this area.

It’s easy to indulge our flesh, to live out the desire to be first and to insist on being so. But Jesus said otherwise. Luke 22:25-26 (ESV) And he said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those in authority over them are called benefactors. But not so with you. Rather, let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves.

In this upside-down kingdom, the first will be last, and the last will be first. Jesus says that whoever humbles himself with be exalted (Luke 14:11) As Christians, we should be focused on serving others, rather than clamoring for the best seat in the house. Trust the Lord to exalt you in due time as you strive to exalt Him always.

A Prayer for God’s Perfect Timing in My Life..Lynette Kittle

A Prayer for God’s Perfect Timing in My Life
By Lynette Kittle

“He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.”—Ecclesiastes 3:11

The world seems to be in chaos like things are occurring haphazardly. Yet, in reading the Bible, we see God knows about timing. In fact, He set time into place: “God called the light ‘day” and the darkness He called ‘night.’ And there was evening and morning—the first day.” (Genesis 1:5) Everything God has planned through history since the world began is perfectly timed, as Galatians 4:4 reveals: “But when the set time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law.”

Often, we don’t see how God can plan things out, especially in such detail perfectly, but He knows how to put us in the right place at the right time. No details are too difficult or minute for Him to work out His plan in our lives. Daniel 2:21 describes how God is over all time: “He changes times and seasons; He deposes kings and raises up others. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.” Even delays may not be what they seem, but rather, God calls things into place in our lives. Whereas we often believe it’s the enemy interrupting and interfering, it may be God’s grand orchestration. 

There is a popular saying that God is never late and rarely early. Of course, we know through Scripture that God’s timing is faultless and perfect. He is not disheveled or haphazard with time.

Setting Times Up
Exodus 9:5 reveals how God sets times beforehand: “The Lord set a time and said, ‘Tomorrow the Lord will do this in the land.’” As well, Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 explains:

“There is a time for everything, And a season for every activity under the heavens:
A time to be born and a time to die,
A time to plant and a time to uproot,
A time to kill and a time to heal,
A time to tear down and a time to build,
A time to weep and a time to laugh,
A time to mourn and a time to dance,
A time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
A time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
A time to search and a time to give up,
A time to keep and a time to throw away,
A time to be silent and a time to speak,
A time to love and a time to hate,
A time for war and a time for peace.”

Whenever we doubt God’s timing, all we need to do is look in the Bible to see how God is in the details of life. Mark 1:15 reminds us Jesus said, “’ The time has come,’ He said. ‘The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news.’”

Let’s pray:
Dear Father,

Thank You for setting the time into place. Help me to trust You are working out the details in my life in perfect timing. I surrender my will and desperate efforts to make things happen when and where I want them to happen. Teach me, instead, to trust You are moving on my behalf.

Show me how to believe You make all things beautiful in Your time, the time that really matters and counts for all of eternity. Thank you, dear Father, for Your Word that encourages and reminds me I don’t have to worry or fear missing out on all You have planned for my life. As Psalm 23:6 reminds me, “Surely Your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” In Jesus’ name, Amen.